JEWS ON WAY TO GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 7

JEWS ON WAY TO GERMANY

Transfer Again To Be Discussed

CONSULTATIONS IN LONDON

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.40 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 25. A message from Jerusalem says it is learned officially that the High Commissioner in Palestine (General Sir Alan Cunningham) will fly to Britain this week for consultations on Palestine, ihe subjects will include the transfer of the illegal immigrants from Port de Bouc to Hamburg. The Jewish Agency executive tigs sent telegrams to all members of the United Nations, except Britain and the Arab countries, protesting against Britain’s action in sending the Jews at Port de Bouc to Germany. The telegrams said: “We implore you and the other United Nations members to intervene to prevent this crime against weak and helpless men, women, -and children who are only anxious to secure their freedom and fundamental human rights. We are confident that the entire civilised world joins with the Jewish people in their horror at this vindictive action, which is ill !gal because of Britain’s obligation under international law to facilitate Jewish immigratoin to Palestine, and inhuman and immoral because of circumstances in Germany, which is the graveyard of manv million Jews.

The leader of tile 1500 Jews aboard the Runnymede Park, one of the three British transports, told a mass meeting aboard the ship off Alicante: “You have only a few days’ peace left before the decisive battle at Hamburg. Cowards and traitors are free to land, but we are not afraid, and will stay aboard and resist to the end.”

The ships are expected to take another nine days to reach Hamburg. The Manchester and Salford Jewish Council has decided to call on the British Government to abandon its decision to send the Jews to Germany.

Jewish Day of Fast ine Jerusalem correspondent of Reuters says that Jews will sound rams’ horns as a signal of “dire distress ’ to-day, when a world-wide dawn-to-dusk fast begins to mark the shipment to Germany of the illegal immigrants. All Jews between 18 and 60 will observe the fast. Cafes and cinemas will close, but shops will do business as usual.

Reuters reports that 45,000 Jews in the north of England will fast. The Irgun Zvai Leumi’s secret radio called on Jews throughout the world not to fast but to fight. The Stern gang simultaneously distributed posters in Tel Aviv calling on all Jews in Palestine to declare total war on Britain.

The Irgun broadcast said: “Instead of proclaiming a fast and stopping work for even a few hours you can stop the cruel British machine forever. Don’t pay your taxes, don’t negotiate with them, don’t obey their orders. Boycott them to the end. Britain is in economic trouble, and can be hit ecoc nomically without mercy.” “If Jewish illegal immigration continues after the United Nations General Assembly session, 20,000 Arabs in the first year will be brought from neighbouring Arab countries to counterbalance the influx of Jews,” said Jamal Husseini, the chairman of the Palestine Arab Higher Committee. He added that members of the Arab youth organisation would be sent to. Iraq, Egypt, Europe, and even England for military training. “The youth organisation is prepared to operate yi daylight, but if it is prevented it may go underground,” he said.